Village of Potsdam sets public hearing for Outer Elm Street zoning change

POTSDAM — Property owner Ron Page feels that the village is in need of some high-end residential housing and is looking to take matters into his own hands.

The Village Board will hold a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. June 16 to discuss a proposed local law to rezone a property on outer Elm Street.

“The property is from BLI-2 — that’s Business Light Industrial — to R-3, residential three, that allows apartment buildings and multi-family dwellings,” Mayor Steven W. Yurgartis said. “The person who owns this property is considering developing it for upscale housing within the village of Potsdam and that’s good news for the village. We’ve seen more and more residential construction here in the village in the last year than we’ve seen in a decade. So that’s nice to see.”

At its May 15 meeting, the village Planning Board considered Mr. Page’s petition to rezone the 37.5-acre parcel of land and made the suggestion for the Board of Trustees to follow suit.

Mr. Page has been working with architect Brooks Washburn on a site plan.

“The intent for the development of this parcel is for new one-family and two-family dwellings, with a mix of for-sale and for-rental properties,” a May 12 letter from Mr. Washburn read.

“I’m basically trying to fill a void in high-end residential housing. We’ll be putting up not your ordinary duplexes. They will look very extravagant with in-floor heat, geo-thermal in every residence and it will be a green community,” Mr. Page said.

“We’re still doing a little bit more market research and then we’ll have the site plan review and that will help determine our final plans.”

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